Lacrosse sticks having a net and a frame with sidewalls generally configured to catch, carry and throw a lacrosse ball are well known in the art. The netting is typically attached to the lacrosse head frame by threading the netting through netting holes provided proximate to the bottom edge of the sidewalls. The lacrosse heads of the prior art have included netting holes provided through tabs extending from the bottom edge of the sidewalls, netting holes bored transversely through the sidewall, and netting holes bored through a flange provided proximate the bottom edge. Yet, in each of these lacrosse heads, the netting is intended to hang downward from the lower edge of the sidewalls with as little contact with the lacrosse head frame as possible.
Generally deeper and more narrow pockets in the netting are desired to help catch and retain the lacrosse ball in the lacrosse head during play and to help channel the lacrosse ball as it is thrown for better accuracy and speed. However, the current rules for men's lacrosse require that a portion of the lacrosse ball always be above the bottom edge of the sidewalls of the lacrosse stick head. In contrast, the current rules for women's lacrosse require that a portion of the ball always be above the top edge of the sidewalls of the lacrosse stick head. As a result, the depth of the men's lacrosse stick head pocket heretofore has been limited to a dimension slightly less than the diameter of the lacrosse ball and the depth of the pocket and sidewall of the women's lacrosse stick head has been limited to the diameter of the lacrosse ball. Additionally, because the netting of the prior art is attached proximate to, and hangs downward from, the bottom edge of the lacrosse head, the width of the upper edge of the pocket has been delimited by the space between the bottom opposing edges of the sidewalls. Although this substantial space is desired between the sidewalls to create a larger area in which to catch the lacrosse ball, this space is counterproductive to catching and retaining the ball in the lacrosse head during play and to throwing the lacrosse ball with the desired amount of accuracy. Rather, the wide aperture design of the lacrosse head frame, and therefore the net, allows the ball to move around laterally in the lacrosse head which makes throwing the lacrosse ball less accurate. First, this wide space reduces accuracy by allowing the ball to exit the lacrosse off-center when thrown. Second, this space enables an opponent to easily dislodge the ball from a player's stick during men's lacrosse play despite cradling techniques. Third, the tension across the netting required to meet the women's pocket depth rules makes catching the lacrosse ball a difficult task for all but the most experienced players.
Although vertical leathers or thongs are strung from the lip portion of the lacrosse frame to the throat portion to help create a channel in the pocket of the netting, these leathers do not adequately inhibit lateral movement of the ball when thrown, do not inhibit the ball from being dislodged during men's lacrosse play by an opponent and contribute to the rigidity of the netting in a women's lacrosse stick head when attempting to catch the ball.